3 Minute Read

The Innovation in Child and Family Wellness Research Group at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) used VFHY funding to create a new trauma-informed approach to prevention. This brand-new tobacco and substance use prevention program, titled Rise Above, empowers kids and teens by helping them develop the skills they need to live a heathy, substance-free life.

Rise Above is a trauma-informed tobacco and substance use prevention program for kids and teens. Youth-serving professionals can request materials, including instructors’ manuals and student journals, to implement the Rise Above curriculum in classrooms, after-school programs, community groups, and settings. The curriculum consists of 20 sessions for small groups of students ages 10-18.

Every detail of the curriculum is designed with the input of youth and the service providers who implement the program, such as teachers, counselors, and social workers. Sunny Shin, MSW, Ph.D., Professor at VCU and Director of Rise Above, considers user feedback to be integral to the program’s success.  

“Evidence-informed curriculum development is important. When I say evidence, it’s not just scientific, but practical wisdom that is out there in the community…. If you were to develop a tobacco prevention intervention, start in the community where you want to implement your program,” he said.  

The program’s trauma-informed approach is also vital. Dr. Shin watched other prevention programs struggle because they failed to truly understand the circumstances that drive youth to turn to substances. It is well-known that adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are strongly correlated with substance use, so any prevention program that does not recognize and address trauma is likely to be ineffective.

Rise Above seeks to rectify this shortcoming. With the program’s trauma-informed approach, “we are saying, number one, we recognize there are ACEs and trauma that are widely present in our community. And, number two… we specifically talk about how stress influences your brain and body,” said Dr. Shin. The curriculum incorporates mindfulness techniques and teaches coping strategies to help youth find healthy ways to handle stress and difficult situations.

Rise Above is part of VFHY’s Tobacco-Free Generation Curriculum Guide of approved tobacco prevention programs. Three VFHY grantees from the new grant cycle are implementing the program in their own communities starting July 1, 2024.

Learn more about Rise Above: https://www.riseabovenow.org/